Support
by Inky-star
Summary: She never knew how much they actually cared, until they showed up.


Aoki Takahashi reserves all rights to Beyblade, I'm just using the characters for fun!

* * *

 **Support**

It was an early spring morning in Bakuten, and on a quiet street stood a beautiful white house with red shutters where an alarm went off. A hand immediately came down and pressed the snooze button. The hand belonged to a mess of brown hair barely popping out of a comforter who grumbled and continued sleeping. The languid figure was none other than Hilary Tachibana, who once again proceeded to press the snooze button at the sound of the ring. She was currently in a state of heavy sleep, having stayed up the whole night prior to prepare for the day's events. After another 5 minutes passed the alarm went off again. She slowly stretched her arms out and grumbled once more before she accepted defeat. As she turned off the alarm and looked over at the time, she darted up like a bed coil spring.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no I'm late. Moooom!" Hilary called out for her mother as she proceeded to haphazardly look around the room for clothes

"Yes honey!?"

"I'm late for the meet! How come you didn't wake me up? It's about to start in 10 minutes" Pulling on some high wasted running shorts, she replaced her pajama top for a running bra.

Ms. Tachibana appeared at the door with a bowl of pancake batter on her left hand and spoon in the other. "Well honey, you've been telling me not to wake you up in the morning since you were 14 years old and could do it yourself. Now you're 18 years old I thought it was best to let you be. To be honest I thought you had already left a while ago"

"I know but still!- Uggh why won't my hair co-operate!- "

Ms. Tachibana clearly exasperated lifted her hands up bowl and everything "Here let me help you dear." Hilary's mom put the bowl down and tied up her daughter's hair up in a high ponytail. She was not new to her daughter's frantic state right before an important event.

"There" she replied with a loving smile.

Hilary planted a kiss on her cheek "Thanks mom, now I just need to grab my backpack and-"

"Hilary did you take a shower?" Ms. Tachibana started to pick up the clothes left around the room.

"Last night, so I should be ok" said Hilary as she darted around the room and placed what she was going to need in her backpack.

"Well grab a pancake on your way out!" she yelled as Hilary bolted out of the room.

"I will!"

Hilary ran down the street stuffing her pancake in her mouth while almost mulling over some kids. ' _Well Hilary this is it. The moment you have been waiting for. The last time for you to run the triathlon and you overslept. Sigh. I've been practicing for the triathlon since I was 13 years old and could join. I would wake up every morning early to run and when I wasn't practicing with the bladebreakers I would go to the gym and swim laps or workout. My goal has always been to make it to the top 25. Last year I missed it by 50 people, this year I plan on making it to the top 10. Since next year I start college I won't have as much time to focus on personal goals. So this it. If i can do this I-'_

"Morning Hilary I see today's the day. Good luck!" yelled Ms. Aoki from the bakery as Hilary sped by, hair swaying back and forth.

"Thank you Ms. Aoki!".

Hilary ran the corner in fierce determination. ' _There is just something about physically pushing your body to its limits and seeing your improvement every day. It's absolutely exhilarating. I don't expect many people to understand it or to look at it with importance, so I don't tell anyone. I'm always the one supporting others like the blade breakers or tutoring at school. This is something I do for myself to prove myself somehow. Only those who bother to ask when they see me running around know.'_

"Hey Hilary do you need a ride" Ms. Kincaid Hilary's old 8th grade teacher shouts, waving at her from her moped across the street.

"Yes please!" Hilary eagerly gets on and wraps her arms around her old teacher tightly. Happy she no longer has to hop on the shuttle that surely would have made her late.

A couple of people wave by when they see Hilary but are lost to her in the blur of the scenery. She barely recognizes the dojo and the 7 people coming out of it in a hurry as they speed by.

They're now getting closer to the race and the traffic is getting slower. A smile forms on Hilary's face as the buzz starts to take over.

"Ms. Kincaid thank you for the ride I can make it on my own from here" Hilary quickly hops off the moped and jumps on the back of a moving delivery truck and holds on to the back.

" **Ayyyee, be careful Hilary!"**

" **Last call for last minute sign ups!"** a guy on a podium says through the speaker **"make your way to the registrar tables, we start the race in 10 min"**.

Jumping off the delivery truck. Hilary rushes to the table.

"I'm here!"

"Name?"

"Tachibana, Hilary'

"Ok you're number 56789 just sign here and you can make your way to the start line"

Hilary leaves her backpack with one of the volunteers and heads to the start line to start warming up. She stretches her arms wide overhead and then each knee.

" **Everyone in your positions!"**

Everyone bends over on one knee, arms touching the floor face forward. Hilary's face is covered by her bangs.

 _Thump, thump, thump,_

 _Sweat,_

 _Perseverance,_

 _Determination,_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

' _I can do this. This time I will be first!"_

" **Shotgun Goes Off'**

She moved quickly through the crowd with ease. Swiftly she claimed a spot at the front. Now she just had to maintain her endurance.

 _Feet Running,_

 _Humid Day,_

 _More Sweat,_

Keeping her pace was easy. Practicing for so long had built up her endurance and she continued the race with high spirits.

Through the park Hilary went. The largest park in Bakuten up and down hills. She accelerated going down hills taking it to her advantage. She didn't bother looking to her sides too focused on her goal. If she did she would have noticed some people cheering her on.

* * *

On a tree the Saint Shields were looking down at the participants of the race. They didn't know there was going to be a race that day but they were delightedly surprised when they saw the massive group of people running. They were being spectators to the sport as they enjoyed their lunch on the tree.

"Look at that guy sister, I think he is going to hurl" said a young boy with green hair.

"Oh boy, I can't eat while watching this" said Miriam. The others laughed.

"Hey is that Hilary from the bladebreakers?" asked Kevin

"It is" said Ozuma surprised to see her competing, in what was that, a triathlon?

"She's really fast" said Dunga

"Yeah, she is. Go Hilary Go" Shouted Miriam. She was happy to see Hilary doing her own thing and she was good at it too. She always saw her with the bladebreakers and wondered if there was anything else to the girl. But it looks like she had her own aspirations and that made her respect for her grow.

"Who knew she was so athletic, but it makes sense now if she is the bladebreakers training coach." Said Kevin

"Very observant Kevin" said Ozuma

"Come on guys let's cheer her on" "Go Hilary Go" they all shouted with enthusiasm.

* * *

Hilary thought she heard her name for a second but dismissed any such thoughts and kept running forward. She was now running by the beach and would soon start the swimming portion of the triathlon. She was thankful to be swimming soon, her body was very warm and sweaty from running.

' _Ok Hilary now this is where the real race starts. And where the strong will be separated from the weak. You can do this. Push forward!'_

Swimsuits were laid on the sand. She quickly grabbed one and zipped it up to her neck before she ran to the pier and jumped off.

The water was nice and cold. It sent shivers up her spine that woke her senses with a jolt. She moved with grace through the water going under every time a wave came by.

She started to notice less and less people around her.

 _Inhale,_

 _Hold,_

 _Glide,_

 _Exhale,_

 _Glide,_

 _Inhale,_

 _Hold,_

 _Glide,_

 _Exhale._

Through the beach she swam across its length. Lost in her thoughts. Body on fire she pushed herself. All sorts of thoughts started to run through her mind at this point. Her life; her dad whom she lost on call (he was a forensic investigator), her mom who worked endless hours at the hospital. The pain she went through. She always tried her best for them, she wanted to make them proud, but never felt good enough. She thought about her teachers and friends that expected much of her. And those not at all. She thought of the amount of work she put into bettering herself and helping others. The bladebreakers. What people thought of her or better said the ones that overlooked her. She wanted more. She wanted to feel accomplished for herself and not just others. She wanted recognition not attention. That she was her own person and could do great things even on her own and not as part of a group. But her own doubts got in the way. She wanted to prove herself and most of all to feel accomplished and her own self-worth. So she pushed herself to grasp it.

' _Keep swimming, this is for yourself!'_ Hilary mentally yelled at herself.

"Gasp" Hilary lifted her head from the water. She made it across.

"Do you need a towel?" said one of the volunteers passing her a towel.

"Yes thank you" said Hilary shivering as she proceeded to take off her swimsuit and dry herself. With that she ran towards where the bikes that were farther up on the road. She got on and quickly glanced at her competition.

"Ok it looks like it's down to us 15 or so people." Hillary smirked " _I like those odds."_

She proceeded to speed off down the road as she began the last part of her race.

* * *

Up on the hill looking down at the race where the bladebreakers and Hiro.

"Wow did you see her go?" Said Max.

"Mm-hm, her form was really balanced and she kept it up" nodded Ray.

"Hilary can compete in the Olympics" simply said Hiro with broad smile.

"Yeah even I'm impressed" said Daichi "Don't tell grandma that though"

Everyone started to laugh even Kai, whose eyes never left the brunet.

"Don't worry I'll make sure to tell her" said Kenny.

Tyson whose eyes had also never left the brunette smiled broadly. It was his idea to bring them all there. Having known Hilary since they were in preschool, he knew a lot about Hillary and the way she was. Including her obsession with racing. He hardly spoke about it since it wasn't until middle school that they actually became friends. But he understood that Hillary was a very ambitious person and moved quietly in that regards, expecting her actions to be speak for herself. She didn't need someone to cheer her on, she always did her best for herself. But this time he wanted her to know that team supported her as much as she supported them. And that they were friends and wanted the best for her. In all honesty he was kind of offended she did not tell them of her race since they had become very close in the last couple of years. But yet again Hillary always kept quiet about her personal affairs, he wondered if she thought they didn't care?

Hiro was starting at Tyson wondering what he was thinking about all dazed and then he looked back at the race only to see Hilary was nowhere near in sight. "Guys quickly get in the car we have to make it to the finish line before she gets there!" Hiro yelled.

* * *

Hilary was breathing in heavily. She was now feeling the effect of the race on her body. She was now cycling through the blocked streets of the city at an enormous speed having left the quietness of the town behind her. "Only 2 more miles to go. Right at the end of the street and I'll be at the front of city hall!"

"Argghhhh" Hilary kept pedaling harder and drifting at the sharp corners. Her mind had been cleared of all other thoughts. Now it was only the road and her. She faintly noticed the color of the city. The lights of the traffic signals. The colorful stores contrasted by the green of the trees. And the noise of the people and cars that energized her.

 _Lights,_

 _Noise,_

 _People,_

 _More sweat._

The density of the people cheering them on bigger and louder. Hilary looked to her sides two only see 4 other people besides her. She became excited and kept pedaling harder.

 _Faster,_

 _Faster,_

 _Faster,_

"I'm doing it, I'm really doing it!" Hilary laughed out loud giddiness and relief washing over her.

"It doesn't matter what comes after this, I know I'll be fine!" Hilary exclaimed at the top of her lungs a couple of tears escaping her face. All those insecurities of the future and who she was supposed to be, _vanished"._

 **And it looks like our finalists are getting closer to the finish line. They're neck and neck who will come first!?**

" _ME!"_ Hilary heard the announcement and leaned forward on her bike abandoning all safety and started pedaling at high speed with abandon recklessness. The wind picked up around her.

 **And the winner is number 56789, also known as, what's her name?...**

" _ **It's HILARY"**_ _yelled a group of boys from the back._

" **Hilary Tachibana!" You saw it folks-".**

Hilary couldn't believe it, she was dazed, still skidding on her bike. _'I did it, I did it…'_ Completely unaware of those around her she brought her bike to a halt and just looked down, breathing heavily. Her hair covering her face in sweat for the second time that day she released tears of joy. She knew everything was going to be better than alright and she lifted her head up and smiled broadly.

"Hilary!" she was immediately engulfed by her mom who continued to kiss her all over the face with happiness and grabbing her cheeks with her hand said "that's _my_ girl, always have been my girl"...

" _Mom..._ "

But her attention was soon stolen by Tyson and the others. She was shocked. Hilary's mom stepped to the side as the boys soon surrounded her taken turns hugging her. Kai simply gave her a side hug to embarrass to hug in public.

"Hilary you were AMAZING!".

"Good job champ".

"You sure did!".

"How come you never told us you ran-?".

"Ok, ok guys let her breath" said Ms. Kincaid.

Hilary was overwhelmed. Almost everyone she knew had come out to watch her. Even the saint shields were there".

"But how did you guys know?" Hilary asked shyly.

Tyson stepped forward "Come on Hil, why wouldn't I know... I mean we are your friends and we care about what's important to you and we want to be there for you like you are to us even if you don't tell us" Hilary blushed and smiled.

"I'm sorry I didn't think you would care".

"Next time just tell us Hils" said Tyson.

"Yeah, aren't you the one that is always telling us to do things together?" said Kai matter of fact-ly arms crossed smirking.

Everyone laughed and that only made Hilary blush more.

"Thanks guys" That's when she realized she always had their support.


End file.
